The Rise of Australasia

After entering the forest, the Argentine army's movements were deliberately concealed. Footprints in the snow were hastily erased, and even the surroundings were camouflaged, making it impossible to determine in which direction the Argentine forces had withdrawn.

Due to concerns about an Argentine ambush, Lucas Fontaine had his soldiers search for a little while unsuccessfully before deciding to withdraw with his troops.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to order a retreat, a soldier suddenly reported that the body of an Argentine soldier had been found not far ahead.

The body was obviously not long dead, with blood still flowing from a wound in the abdomen. It appeared that the Argentine army had abandoned the injured soldier in their haste to flee, knowing he could not be saved.

The body held little value for Lucas Fontaine, as the evidence already in hand could prove that the troops that had entered the territory were Argentine soldiers.

However, the rifle carried by the body caught Lucas Fontaine's interest. Having dealt with the Argentine army many times, he knew that this sleek-looking rifle was definitely not standard equipment for the Argentine forces.

If he guessed correctly, this should be the equipment of the powerful nation behind Argentina and the confidence behind Argentina's repeated provocations of Chile.

Recognizing the importance of the matter, Lucas Fontaine took no chances and ordered his soldiers to withdraw with the rifle.

As for the body of the Argentine soldier, it was hastily buried on the spot.

Without any rest, he took the rifle to his superior and reported his findings.

After being reported up the chain of command, the rifle eventually ended up in the hands of the Chilean Brigadier General in charge of the Second Border Defense Division.

The upper echelons of the Chilean military could not possibly be unfamiliar with this rifle, as it was none other than the famous M1903 Springfield rifle, the standard issue rifle of the United States Army and the only powerful nation in North and South America.

For a time, the news that Americans might be involved behind Argentina was quickly reported to the upper echelons of the Chilean government.

For Chile, it was no longer a simple conflict with Argentina; it was more like a direct clash between Britain, which supported Chile, and the United States, which supported Argentina.

Although the United States was not a militarily strong country, it was still a powerful nation in the face of Chile, which was relatively small in terms of land area and population.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Chilean Government reported the possibility of U.S. involvement in the conflict to the British Government and requested their help.

Upon receiving Chile's request for assistance, the British Government paid close attention to the conflict between Chile and Argentina and took it very seriously.

Unfortunately, the Americans flatly denied providing any assistance to Argentina and denied that they were the true culprits behind the conflict between Argentina and Chile.

To ease Chilean concerns, the British Empire urgently allocated a batch of equipment, including 50,000 Lee-Enfield rifles, hundreds of firearms, dozens of heavy machine guns, and various ammunition.

A significant portion of this weaponry and equipment was purchased from Australasia, which, compared to other powers, was relatively unoccupied and under little pressure to expand its military arsenal.

With the support of the British Empire's weaponry, Chile took a tough stance and issued a final ultimatum to Argentina, demanding a complete withdrawal of its invading forces from the border, an apology for the two conflicts, and compensation for the corresponding losses.

Naturally, Argentina could not agree to Chile's terms, let alone the compensation that Chile demanded, which was enough to build another dreadnought.

On July 1st, 1913, Argentina flatly denied Chile's demands and stated that Argentine forces were merely patrolling their border and carrying out legitimate activities, and that Chile had no right to demand their withdrawal.

By this time, news of the two conflicts between both parties had already spread among civilians, and the hatred between the two countries had deepened.

Chile naturally did not tolerate such shameless behavior by Argentina and released photos of the two Argentine soldiers' bodies, along with images of the battlefield confrontations.

Meanwhile, Chile reissued an ultimatum to Argentina, demanding a complete withdrawal of the invading troops; otherwise, it would be considered a provocation and declaration of war against Chile.

If the Argentine forces did not withdraw within 48 hours, Chile and Argentina would officially be in a state of war.

After a day's interval, Argentina responded. Argentina admitted the bodies were Argentine soldiers but claimed that they were moved into Argentine territory after being ambushed by Chileans to fabricate evidence.

The Chilean border photos with traces of war were also forged by Chileans to frame Argentina.

The Argentine government declared that to protect the interests of the government and the Argentine people, the Argentine army would not back down and would never fear the dangers posed by enemies.

Over these few days, the diplomatic systems of Argentina and Chile were very busy.

After the 48-hour deadline set by the Chilean ultimatum had passed, the Chilean government officially met with the Argentine envoy in Chile, announcing the government's decision that from that day, July 3rd, 1913, Chile and Argentina had officially entered a state of war and demanded the Argentine envoy to return to Argentina immediately.

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